Lived Experience Forum

[Mazarita]

Good morning, @CheerBear. Lovely to meet up with you again this early morning.

You are listening to trees and I am hearing them here too. A cool breeze is flowing through the open doors of the flat, such a nice feeling in this warm and humid weather. The sky has that deep blue hue I love at this time of day, while a currawong calls, accompanied by the high tweets of a little bird waking up nearby.

I've been up for some hours writing my statements about the videos that have been awarded in the competition. I've only written about two of them so far, four more to go. Taking very slow time with it in an effort to give full justice to the quality of these works.

[CheerBear]

You are here @Mazarita 😊

Lovely to imagine the sky and the cool breeze where you are. I've woken up to s very wet sounding morning after so much rain over the last couple of days. It's drizzly now but has stopped properly raining. A black bird was singing outside very happily and loudly which our cats were enjoying spying on and watching through the window.

Great to hear you're at this stage of the competition. I can imagine you taking your time and thinking a lot about what you'll say for each video. How long until your deadline for this? (Not wanting to disturb you or any flow with it you might be having this morning though)

[Mazarita]

The spying of the cats makes me smile, @CheerBear. 

It's been a raining a little overnight too. No sign yet of the storms forecast for yesterday and coming days, related to the cyclones up north, I think.

Hoping @Shaz51 is okay, as I think she may be near or in the path of one of these. I know she has been through this before though, as so many in those regions do every year. I trust that she knows how to take care and stay safe but worry a bit about them too.

An overcast day here. Wanted to go out to the beach last night to see if we could spot the comet that's in the sky, as well as the meteor shower happening. But it was too overcast for viewing, dammit. I do remember a fantastic night on the beach shortly after I arrived up here though. The meteors were flashing fast and bright. Magical.

The deadline for the notes is Monday. I will be taking the weekend to slowly write and review them, so no worries about interrupting my flow. I'm really enjoying this part of things too, as I love and admire all of these videos so much, and have become very familiar with them now over repeated viewings.

How are you going this morning? What looks like being ahead for your day?

[CheerBear]

The cats were funny this morning @Mazarita. I watched Noodle on a mission going from the back room up the hallway and coming back with Mouse where they both sat together watching through the window. It was like he went and got her to show her what was outside 😁

That's a shame about not being able to see the comet and meteor shower. What a awesome thing to see if you could have! So great you're enjoying this video project. It's been cool to watch (listen to maybe) you having fun and enjoying being part of it. I have a feeling the creators will enjoy your reviews with the love you have of their work!

I'm going ok this morning thanks. I had a couple of not great days but feel a little better today. Psych this morning after he made a mistake with bookings and last minute canceled an appointment yesterday morning. I wasn't sure I'd be able to find someone to watch the kids so I could go today but I did which is a relief (I really need this appointment). Heading out after that and will spend some time with the kids making and baking little treats for classmates with them. I want to finish up my latest crafty project also as it is a present. Busy, but with good stuff today.

Thinking the video reviews will be what's on for your day today?

Hugs for @Shaz51 also and thinking of you too.

[Mazarita]

Haha, the idea of one cat going and getting the other so they could watch through the window together is so sweet, @CheerBear. I can imagine their longing!

Good to hear you are feeling better after a couple of difficult days. Really glad you've been able to sort the babysitting so you can go to your psych appointment. I agree that you really might need this at the moment, after such big things happening in your life recently. The forum is great for support, but being able to talk to someone in person is important too, especially someone with a lot of experience of the inner workings of humans in general. How long have you been seeing this psych? I hope they have a good understanding of the inner workings of you too.

The other stuff in your day sounds enjoyable. Hope its a really nice day for you all. 

Yes, all I'm focussing on this weekend is getting these reviews of the videos written to my satisfaction. I am a perfectionist to a fair degree, so glad I have a lot of time up my sleeve to get the writing done without stress.

Aside from that, hoping to visit my close friend today or tomorrow.

I'll also probably be napping through the day, to make up for the little sleep overnight (only about three hours again). Yesterday was pretty much a total crash day, so so tired and aching all over, yet didn't find it easy to sleep when I went back to bed during the day. Instead, I kept nodding off in the armchair while watching TV, or in the middle of a game of spider solitaire on my phone. Too tired to even do much on the computer yesterday, which is saying something for me!

[CheerBear]

My psych and I have been working together for somewhere between 5 and 10 years @Mazarita. We were able to continue working together after the big bang that happened thanks to a change in direction for psych around that time also (being a bit vague here intentionally sorry). Psych is ultra clinical and usually I don't do that very well but they know me as well as any professional and have been as helpful as most ive worked with combined. I'm nervous as I have some big feelings bubbling away about what happened recently that I'm scared to touch on, but that's exactly why I need this appointment too. I know it will help.

Great you have time to do what you need to do how you'd like to do it. Hugs with the sleep and the sometimes crashed out feelings. I get how that one can feel 😏 Do you think things will settle a bit for you in that way once Monday has come?

So great to read about your mum and the support that is coming together for her too ❤ Go her and you with that one!

[Mazarita]

That's okay with the vague references, @CheerBear. I respect your way of handling the need for privacy and care in your situation. In fact, I am learning from you about that, as I have a tendency to be too rash in what I say sometimes.

Great that you have been seeing your psych for so long. I think the longer the relationship with our support professionals, the better it tends to be for us. The trust becomes deeper in us, and the awareness of us as individuals grows in them over time. Hugs for the big feelings. Hope you are able to release them in your appointment in a way that is slow and gentle enough, and thereby conducive to integration of the experiences.

I'm not sure if things will settle that much come Monday. There are a lot of things happening with my creative life at this time. I will be moving on the next thing after Monday. Doing my best to stay as balanced as possible while engaging with it all, but getting carried away and revved up pretty high with it a fair bit too, as evidenced I think by the little sleep I am getting. I guess I'm making hay while the sun shines. As you know, there are other times when I can do very little at all. Although I aim for moderation as much as I can these day, and do manage to mitigate the worst excesses of bipolar highs, it still seems like my energy levels fluctuate a fair bit between poles in an ongoing way. Not worrying about it as much as I used to though. My life has always been a bit strange. And as long as I'm not running out into the street screaming, I feel like I'm basically okay.

[CheerBear]

Thanks @Mazarita ❤

Again hugs for the tricky you manage. Out of all of the things that those swings might drive you to do, your projects seem like a great one to channel energy into. They are fabulous creative outlet, community and social activity, source of mental stimulation, and means of sharing a love you have for this form of art and expression. I definitely understand getting carried away in something, but what a fabulous something to be carried away with (i think) ❤! Your awareness but lack of big worry is a great balance. Big 👍 for not running around screaming on the streets too 😉😊

We have a few people coming by in an hour to take a photo together (it's something for that crafty KK which seems to have gone next level this year 😆), so I am going to head into the shower and then get some crew up and moving for the morning.

So nice to catch up with you this morning. Hope you enjoy your writing and reviewing, and your friend if you see them ❤🌈

[Mazarita]

Thanks, @CheerBear. Good timing as I was going to sign off too. Hope you enjoy your day. 

[Shaz51]

good morning @Mazarita, @CheerBear, yes it is still morning

So great to read about your mum and the support that is coming together for her @Mazarita

Loving  and reading  all your messages you  have written and then I saw my name

Had a extra big day yesterday , we did our 2 cleaning jobs , finished a 2pm

then went to mow a lawn and then visited MIL and SIL who lives 30kms away to see if they needed anything done before the cyclone

got back home at 6pm

cooked dinner -- eggs on toast

6-30pm ,  take mum to hospital , they are keeping her in

last night there was no beds in our hospital so they would have to send mum to the next hospital 60kms away

9-30pm still at hospital -- yaaaa now they have a bed here for her

bed at 10-30pm

sunny this morning , so mowed 2 lawns before getting wet , raining heavy now

the cyclone is still going even overland , suppose to go over the top of qld and then come back to the coast -- have to see what happens , ok at the moment xx

@outlander, @Teej, @Bimby2